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We have now added more than 1,000 places to our A to Y Gazetteer of Yorkshire. We've listed the cities and towns and now many of the villages, with links to pages providing more information or to pinpoint villages on our unique Yorkshire map.

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Community Raceday at Wetherby

Wetherby racecourseWetherby racecourse in West Yorkshire holds its Community Raceday this Wednesday (November 29).

Six races are on the card with the first at 2.40pm and the last race at 3.35pm. Before that will be the British Horse Society Northern Charity Race, rescheduled from November 3 when racing was cancelled due to a waterlogged course.

More information can be found at the Wetherby racecourse website.

Wetherby

Yorkshire.guide/Wetherby

Countdown to Christmas

Christmas in York With just over three weeks to go to Christmas Day, a season of Christmas fairs and markets and the switching on of festive lights is already well under way in cities, towns and villages across Yorkshire.

There are several Christmas markets and fairs being held across Yorkshire this coming weekend, among them:

Skipton Christmas Market in 2022• The first of two popular Sunday Christmas Markets takes place in Skipton, North Yorkshire, this Sunday (December 3). The second is on the following Sunday (December 10). As usual there will be plenty of entertainment among a Market Place full of Christmas gift stalls.

Malton Christmas Market in 2022• Around 60 miles away in another part of North Yorkshire, Malton is holding its two-day Festival of Christmas on Saturday and Sunday (December 2-3) with a Market Place full of food, gift stalls, live music and family entertainment.

Christmas Market time in Selby is on Saturday• Selby is another North Yorkshire town offering a festive treat next weekend. Selby holds its Christmas Market and lights switch-on this coming Saturday (December 2) with more than 40 stalls plus choirs and bands.

• The market town of Otley in West Yorkshire holds its 36th Victorian Fayre this Sunday (December 3) with a traditional market, food stalls, fairground rides and festive music and entertainment around the Market Place and town centre.

• The attractive cobbled hill of the main street in the village of Haworth in West Yorkshire will be bustling with various activities each weekend before Christmas starting this Saturday (December 2) with the village lights switch-on and Sunday (December 3) when the annual Haworth Santa Run is held. The village has torchlight processions on the second weekend in December, Christmas music on the third and nativity processions on the weekend before Christmas. Artisan markets are held each weekend before Christmas in Central Park and Christmas Craft Fairs for the first three weekends in The Old School Rooms.

• Some of Yorkshire’s larger markets continue right up until Christmas. One of the biggest, in Yorkshire's principal city York, started on Thursday November 16 and continues until Friday December 22.

In addition to York's regular market there are more than 75 alpine-style chalets along Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square offering gifts and festive treats. A variety of other festive fun events are taking place at venues around the city as part of the York Christmas Festival.

York Minster will again be holding its popular Christmas Tree Festival with 60 trees on display in its Nave, Chapter House and Lady Chapel. The festival begins on Saturday December 2 and continues until January 5 in the new year.

• Another city which opened a Christmas market on Thursday November 16 was Sheffield. Featuring Alpine-style bars, German sausages and seasonal food, drink and gift ideas, the market runs right up until Christmas Eve on Sunday December 24.

The cabin stalls are situated in The Moor and Pinstone Street in the city centre. A Festive Opening Weekend this Saturday and Sunday (November 18-19) will feature street entertainers, brass bands, choir and dance displays and an outdoor cinema.

Christmas in Whitby The Piece Hall, Halifax• Halifax in West Yorkshire is again celebrating Christmas in style with events at its historic Georgian Piece Hall. A programme of more than 50 shows, workshops and events are taking place between November 11 and December 31.

• Whitby in North Yorkshire is another town providing an early start to Christmas shopping in characterful surroundings. Whitby Christmas Festival saw the Christmas lights switch-on, entertainment and a Christmas Market at the Marina car park over the November 17-19 weekend.

• Nineteen miles down the coast, Scarborough has launched Scarborough Lights, a brand new event which started on Wednesday November 15. It features a variety of light displays around the town until Saturday December 23. Also part of the event is a Winter Lights Trail in Peasholm Park until December 22 and a light art display in St Mary's Church until November 30. Various other light installations will be displayed around some of the town’s most popular locations. The lights form part of The Scarborough Fair, a year-round programme of arts, heritage and sporting events around Scarborough led by North Yorkshire Council and supported by Government Town Deals funding.

Festive treats on Yorkshire's heritage railways

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway aims to provide the impression of a journey to the North PoleYorkshire's fantastic heritage railways have a busy season in the run-up to Christmas as they run such services as the Elf Express, Santa Specials and Festive Flyers.

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway which runs from Keighley through the attractive village of Haworth to Oxenhope in West Yorkshire is running its Elf Explorer trains next weekend (November 25 and 26), then each weekend in December with additional trains on Thursday and Friday December 21 and 22. Festive Flyer services will run from Keighley to a Christmas market with live Christmas music at Oxenhope on Thursday and Friday December 14 and 15 while tickets for a Carol Service Train on December 16 are already sold out.

On the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, between Grosmont and Pickering in North Yorkshire, there are Santa Specials each weekend until Christmas. There are also Christmas lunch services aboard its heritage carriages on selected dates at the end of November, through December and into early January.

The Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway offers The Polar Express train rides between Embsay and Bolton Abbey in North Yorkshire. Trains offer a theatrical recreation of the 2004 film and run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from November through to December 24 with additional weekday performances in the week before Christmas.

The Wensleydale Railway, which runs heritage diesel train services between Scruton and Leyburn in North Yorkshire, is having an Edwardian Christmas event on Sunday December 10 at its restored Scruton station with festive songs, Christmas crafts, mince pies and mulled wine.

The North Bay Railway in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, reopens for Santa Specials each weekend in December before Christmas. Whistlestop Valley at Clayton West in West Yorkshire is offering Tea with Santa, Simply Santa and The Santa Express to its child-friendly experience tickets in the run-up to Christmas. The historic Middleton Railway, which runs between Hunslet and Middleton Park at the edge of Leeds in West Yorkshire, also runs Santa Specials each weekend in December before Christmas.

You can find out more about these historic railways and view their festive services via the links on our Heritage railways page.

Heritage railways

Strikes set to disrupt early December train travel

Grand Central plan to operate a normal service on strike daysRailway trade union ASLEF continues its long-running dispute with employers and make another hit on train travel at the start of December. Services will be affected across the rail network between Friday December 1 and Saturday December 9 when ASLEF plan not to work overtime. There will also be one day of strike action at many railway companies, but these will be on different days at each company. Late evening services before a strike day and early morning services after a strike day may also be affected.

A full strike day will be held at East Midlands Railway and at LNER on Saturday December 2. EMR say they will not operate services on any of its routes on this date. LNER say they will have a reduced timetable between Edinburgh and London and between Leeds and London.

On Cross Country a full strike day has been called for Thursday December 7 and CrossCountry have announced they will have no service that day.

On Northern and on TransPennine Express a full strike day has been called for Friday December 8.

Grand Central say the upcoming strikes will not affect their services and Hull Trains say they plan a normal timetable.

Engineering work on Sunday December 3

Engineering work will also hit services during this period. No services will be running to or from London King's Cross on Sunday December 3. Grand Central say all services will be cancelled on this day. LNER and Lumo will have an amended timetable with bus replacements. Hull Trains plan a reduced and amended timetable of services into London St Pancras.

Yorkshire mixture

Here are links to a few favourite pages at Yorkshire.guide:

Cities Largest towns and cities Population Gazetteer Abbeys Castles Film locations Heritage Coast Heritage railways Highest mountains Historic Houses North Pennines North York Moors Museums Peak District Racecourses Seaside York Yorkshire Dales Yorkshire football Railway stations

On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at

If you’re from Yorkshire you will probably recognise our background picture as the Cow and Calf Rocks on Ilkley Moor, famous as the location of the Yorkshire dialect anthem "On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at". More on Ilkley.

Yorkshire news topics

ARCHIVED
Funding for Yorkshire projects: Schemes share in spread of Levelling-Up money.

One of the best places to retire: Consumer champion names Kirklees among 12 top areas of UK

50th anniversary gala: Steam celebration on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Selby and Ainsty by-election 2023: Labour overturns big Conservative majority

Help for business: South Yorkshire location for Government's first Investment Zone

Flying Scotsman visit by King Charles: Royal train visits the North Yorkshire Moors Railway

York in World top ten : Historic city one of the most welcoming places on Earth.

End of TransPennine Express: Government taking over on May 29 as TransPennine Trains

Elections 2023: Labour swing leaves one Conservative local authority in Yorkshire

Maunday Thursday service: His Majesty King Charles and the Queen Consort at York Minster

New era for North Yorkshire: Biggest towns will have remote control

Historic Yorkshire changed again: Part of former West Riding involved in Cumbria abolition

Clean air zone for Sheffield: Council also increases electric charge cost

Scenic bus route continues: Britain's best bus journey still running with fare of just £2

Winter wonderland steam: Snowy gala days on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

Thornborough Henges: 'Stonehenge of the North' opens to the public

Sheffield on top city break list: South Yorkshire city second on list of 18 European destinations

News archive 2022: News from 2022.

News archive 2021: News from 2021.

News archive 2020: News from 2020.

News archive 2019: News from 2019.

News archive 2018: News from 2018.

News archive 2017: News from 2017.

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